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Preparing to Compete

As we head into playoff season, it is important to remember that proper preparation, on a daily basis is a major factor to your success. Preparing for a game doesn’t start when you step on the ice. Preparation is really a daily process of repeating certain things that make you the player you are. Preparation starts with how you eat and sleep at home or on the road. I try to engrain in all of the players we work with that preparation begins when you walk in the door of the rink. At this time, the game and what you need to do to win need to be the only thing on your mind.

Over Training in Sports

The standards for competitive sports for all levels from youth to professional have elevated. This reoccurring trend is not necessarily a bad thing; however, the emphasis is being placed more on quantity than quality of training. When the intensity, duration, and frequency of training is too high with insufficient recovery, training becomes harmful versus beneficial. If the quality of training is high then there should be no reason to compensate with extra conditioning or trainings in addition to what is already required.

Stretching to Reduce Workplace Injuries and Improve Productivity (Part 1 of 3)

Many of today’s workforce spend their time sitting behind a desk working on a computer, going over spreadsheets or on their phone. This prolonged sitting can lead to a variety of issues including low back or neck pain, stiff joints and overuse injuries especially in the shoulder, elbows and wrists. These injuries have shown to lead to increase in time lost at work and decreased productivity, all affecting a business’s bottom line. According to a 2009 report by the Wellness Council of America, “implementing a stretching program into daily work practices show excellent work injury reduction benefits.”

In Part 1 of this series, I will discuss two stretches to help decrease low back pain in 

2 Simple Exercises to Skate Faster

Speed on the ice is defined by stride length times stride frequency. In order to improve your speed, you must improve one of these two factors. Improving strength and power in the lower body will aid in the improvement of frequency and is a very important aspect of off ice training. This improvement however may take some time. One simple and quicker way is to improve your stride length by increasing your 

Scapular Dysfunction

One of the most commonly injured joints in overhead sports is the shoulder.  Pitchers, volleyball players, quarterbacks, and others often deal with overuse injuries such as impingement, labral tears, rotator cuff injuries, tendinitis, as well as general instability.  However, it is not only overhead athletes that may experience shoulder pain.  Many individuals, 

5 Stretches for the Lower Body

Regardless of an individual’s activity level, sport, or occupation, maintaining good mobility can help alleviate general aches and pains.  Here are 5 lower extremity stretches that can be easily worked into any routine.  The optimal time to incorporate static stretches are after working out.  Hold each stretch for 15 to 30 seconds, and repeat 2-3 times.

How to Choose Supplements

Supplements have become a cornerstone in athletics. They can range from whey protein, creatine, pre-workout, iron supplements, beta alanine, etc. Athletes consume supplements to reach their goals of increasing lean muscle mass, increasing strength and power, or recovering quicker; however, it is important to know what all the ingredients are in the supplement. Supplement manufacturers are not required to be approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA); therefore, there is no regulation of the supplement’s purity, effectiveness, or listed ingredients being a banned substance. The FDA is only involved with regulating a supplement if it is proven to be harmful or contain banned substances. If you test positive for a banned substances NCAA drug test, the consequences is at minimum 365 day suspension and a loss of a year of eligibility.

 

High Ankle Sprains in Hockey

Ankle sprains are the most common injury seen in sports. Typically, the ligaments on the lateral or outside part of the ankle are affected. In hockey, the stiffness of the skate helps protect these ligaments, but the force can be translated up above the ankle joint resulting in a high ankle sprain. The tibiofibular ligament and interosseous membrane hold the two shin bones together and are located above the ankle joint. These two structures are at a higher risk of injury in the hockey player. The injury can occur when 

Sports Specific Training: Energy Systems

There are three different physiological systems that the body uses to produce energy to meet the body’s demands. Energy systems can also be considered metabolic efficiency, essentially it is preparing the athlete to meet their sport’s specific energy demands. For example, a cross country runner will have different energy/metabolic demands that a sprinter.

The Role of Stability and Mobility in the Ankle

Ankle range of motion and ankle stability often are trained separately.  While they seem independent and opposite of each other, they are both needed to reach peak performance. Many athletes do not work on ankle range of motion unless they experience an injury to the lower extremity and, often, ankle stability is expected of the athlete to already have after a certain age.  Stability of the ankle should not limit the range of motion; stability allows the athlete to strongly balance on different surfaces with forces acting upon them while performing the proper technique with the required range of motion at the joint. 

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